Meet the 10 Pups Competing For the Title of World's Cutest Rescue Dog — and Vote for Your Pick
Over 10,000 rescue dog owners answered PEOPLE's call for adorable photos of adopted pups by entering PEOPLE's World's Cutest Rescue Dog Contest Presented by the PEDIGREE® brand.
After reviewing the entries and reading the rescue stories of thousands of dogs, PEOPLE has narrowed down the pool to 10 precious pooch finalists. It is now up to animal lovers worldwide to help decide which of the canines should be crowned World's Cutest Rescue Dog.
Read on below to learn more about the ten furry finalists, and cast a vote for your favorite rescue dog. Voting is open from Sept. 1 through Sept. 29.
The three dogs with the most votes will move on to judging, where a winner will be chosen by celebrity judge Megan Hilty and judges from PEOPLE and the PEDIGREE® brand.
Like the champions before them — Lamb Chop, Kasey, and Penny — the Grand Prize Winner will receive:
A custom photoshoot
A feature in PEOPLE Magazine and on People.com
A year's supply of dog food from the PEDIGREE® brand
A $1,000 donation to the pet rescue organization of the winner's choice
Now, meet the cuddly canines making up the 10 finalists for the 2021 contest, and help these dogs get one paw closer to the grand prize by voting below.
Joey nord
Piper, 1
Piper and her adorable underbite bring joy to her owners every day.
carly deliseo
Panda, 5
Panda helps her owner care for foster dogs so more pets can find homes.
elizabeth biggs
Lucy, 1
Adopted mid-pandemic, Lucy has helped her family cope with anxiety.
sarah hildreth-brown
Keeper, 17
This senior likes to party and shows no signs of slowing down.
jaclyn rakers
Heaven, 3
Heaven loves the slides at the playground and is always wearing a smile.
stephanie means
Fern, Age Unknown
Rescued from a hoarding situation a year ago, Fern has transformed.
andrea kraft
Copper, 7
This loving pit bull is a favorite among the kids in her neighborhood.
ryan hanson
Charlie, 4
Found alone in the woods, Charlie now enjoys zooming around his yard.
kristin Mignogna
Bogey, 3
Deaf and blind in one eye, Bogey masters tricks through hand signals.
jennifer porter
Aslan, 1
Abandoned by his first owners, Aslan adores his new family.
Now that you have met all of the finalists for the 2021 World's Cutest Rescue Dog Contest, vote for your favorite pooch below or at People.com/rescuedogcontest.
To learn even more about the World's Cutest Rescue Dog Contest and its finalists, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE on newsstands Friday.